Week 10 Fantasy Football Injury Report: Quick Hits

Darren Sproles (concussion): Sproles left Sunday’s loss after suffering a concussion. He does have a history of playing the week after suffering a concussion (2009), but every one is different, so that’s no indication that he will be able to play this Sunday. Sproles will have to pass league mandated ImPACT concussion protocol, so we won’t know about his availability until Friday at the absolute earliest. We’ll monitor his status this week, but we need symptom-free progression by the end of the week to have any chance of playing. Pierre Thomaswould see an uptick in value if Sproles can’t go.

Marques Colston (knee): Colston missed the Saints’ Week 9 loss with a knee injury. Maybe this is the reason for his recent lack of production, but either way, we don’t know how severe the issue is and whether the week off allowed him to progress enough to be ready for Week 10. My guess is that he’ll have to at least get in a limited participation practice on Friday at the minimum to have a chance to play, so nothing’s set in stone quite yet.

What we do know is that Colston has been a shell of himself this year, and although he’s getting older, we wouldn’t expect such a drastic decrease in production from one season to the next if he’s fully healthy. So maybe this is a good time for the Saints to get Colston right for the stretch run and it sure would explain how slow and outmatched he’s looked all season. Stay tuned.

Robert Woods (left ankle): Woods left Sunday’s loss in the 3rd quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Reports came out that Woods has only a mild sprain of the ankle and that he is considered day-to-day at this point. The interesting part to me is that he was really having a lot of difficulty putting any weight on his ankle, and as someone who has sprained his ankle dozens of times, I’ve never had a minor ankle sprain that I wasn’t able to put weight on. And the fact that the team decided to do a precautionary X-ray on Sunday leads me to believe that maybe they were thinking more of a bony issue and less muscular. We’ll keep an eye on this and see how he progresses throughout the week, but I’d watch this situation unfold to see if any more information becomes available.

Percy Harvin (hip): All of those reports of Harvin being ready before November were a bit premature. Harvin returned to practice two weeks ago for two days and was then scaled back considerably after developing soreness in his surgically repaired hip. Harvin has not practiced since and, according to Coach Pete Carroll, is not planning on having Harvin for the Week 10 contest against the Atlanta Falcons.

Three months was a very optimistic time frame for a return from this type of injury, so it’s not surprising to see that he’s taking a bit longer to get back into the swing of things than reports initially stated. I still think it could be two weeks (Week 12) before he returns, which puts him right near that 4 month mark post operation. But again, his ability to practice at full speed and respond well to the increased activity will dictate how close he gets to returning to the field. Once he is able to practice on consecutive days without onset of soreness and/or inflammation, Harvin will be full speed ahead. This week doesn’t appear to be the week.

Giovani Bernard (rib): Bernard capped off his breakout performance on Thursday night with a bruised rib. Bernard had to leave the game, grimacing in pain on the way to locker room. He returned to the sideline after being checked out in the locker room in street clothes. The injury is not considered serious and it appears that Bernard is expected to be fine for this week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Roddy White (ankle, hamstring): White was put through a workout prior to Sunday’s game and came out of it just not feeling right, so the decision was made to sit him for another week. White appears to be headed in the right direction, but isn’t quite 100% running routes just yet. The great news is that he felt good enough to at least go through a workout prior to the game to give it a shot, so at least we know he’s moving in the right direction. But when you’re dealing with two injuries to your lower extremities, it makes it that much more difficult to come back from. Keep in mind that White has two tough matchups coming up, with Seattle’s Legion of Boom this week and Revis Island in Week 11 (if that exists anymore).

Andre Brown (fibula fracture): Brown is slated to back in the Giants’ lineup this week as he’s officially eligible to play after being placed on the IR/Designated to return list earlier in the year. With only Peyton Hillisand Brandon Jacobsto steal carries from, Brown should eventually slide into the Giants’ starting backfield. Look for him to relatively eased back into the lineup, but he’s a strong play for the rest of the season as this injury should not limit him much upon return as the fracture should be more than healed.

Shane Vereen (thumb): Vereen is back at practice as of last week and will be eligible to return to the New England Patriots’ lineup when they return to action for Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers. He was explosive in the only game he played this year, and will immediately slide back into his role as 3rd down back in addition to lining up wide and in the slot. This guy is a dynamic force and jack of all trades who will immediately make the Patriots offense even more potent. If he’s still out there, snatch him up now. I’d even make a low ball trade offer to get him as his value will be off the charts as a RB2 and Flex option.

Ziad graduated from the University of Southern California with a doctorate in Physical Therapy. An avid Fantasy Football enthusiast, he brings with him a desire to introduce sports medicine to the reader and help better explain what to expect on the injury side of things. Ziad became a Board Certified Orthopaedic specialist in 2014, a distinction held by <10% of physical therapists in the country.
Follow Ziad on Twitter (z_dahdul) for breaking injury news and analysis

Fantasy Player News

Armando Salguero, via Twitter, has reported that free agent running back Stevan Ridley, who underwent surgery to repair his torn ACL and MCL last November, is visiting with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday. This is one of the teams I expected to bring him in for a visit. The Dolphins prefer to operate as a running back by committee and Ridley would be a nice compliment to speed back Lamar Miller. If signed, Ridley and Miller would have fantasy value in the Dolphins offensive scheme. He would have to settle for a one year “prove it” type of contract.

Ian Rapoport, via Twitter, has reported that the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms with wide receiver Miles Austin on a one-year $2.3 million contract. He is coming off a 2014 with the Cleveland Browns where he finished with 47 receptions, 568 yards, and three touchdowns. Hamstring injuries have taken away Austin’s athletic ability as he struggles to separate from defenders. I view him as backup in 2015. The fantasy value of Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff continue to trend up.

ESPN reporter Josina Anderson has reported that free agent WR Hakeem Nicks is visiting with the San Francisco 49ers. Just like Michael Crabtree, lower leg injuries have taken away his athleticism and ability to create separation. Nicks bet on himself in 2014 with the Indianapolis Colts and finished with 38 receptions, 405 yards, and four touchdowns. He will unlikely be on the fantasy radar heading into the 2015 season.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Sam Bradford contemplated retiring from the NFL after his second left ACL tear in 2014. He has also come back from right shoulder surgery and a left ACL tear. Former Oklahoma QB Josh Huepel reportedly talked Bradford out of retiring. In my opinion, the Philadelphia Eagles and any other NFL team looking into him have conducted proper due diligence. Teams are aware of his injury history and mental makeup. Is Bradford’s upside worth the risk? The Eagles have yet to find a mobile quarterback to properly threaten defenses with the zone read. I see Bradford being traded prior to the NFL Draft or on draft day.

Kris Bryant was reassigned to minor league camp today but unlike Javier Baez, his stay there is likely to be brief. Bryant was the top hitter in the Cactus League, blasting homers off any and all he faced. By sending him down, and keeping him down for at least two weeks, the Cubs will retain an extra year of control on him. It’s a stupid rule that Major League Baseball needs to revisit. If the Cubs miss the playoffs by just a few games, they can likely blame this move for it.

The Cubs have optioned Javier Baez to the minors. Last year Baez hit .169 with 95 strikeouts in only 52 games and this spring he picked up right where he left off. Tommy La Stella and Arismendy Alcantara will get the starts at second base. Baez is still only 22 years old but with Addison Russell also in the Cubs system, he better lose his Pedro Cerrano ways and learn to hit the off speed stuff if he wants to be a Cub.

Denver Broncos.com has reported that Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak has confirmed C.J. Anderson will open OTAs as the team’s starting running back. He said that “I think he’s shown he has all the ability to be an excellent starter in this league, so we’re really looking forward to working with him.” Anderson is a perfect fit in running zone schemes because he’s a north-south runner and has the patience to let the play continually develop until the optimal choice for the running lane is shown. This news, although expected, solidifies Anderson as a top 10 running back heading into fantasy drafts this summer.

Mike Jurecki, via Twitter, reported that Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians would like to see more “consistency” from wide receiver Michael Floyd in his fourth NFL season. Arians went on to mention Floyd was a “victim” of the Cardinals revolving door at QB and feels he is a “1,000 yard player every year.” The 13th pick in the 2012 draft was on a number of sleeper lists heading into the 2014 season. It would help Floyd’s production if the Cardinals expand his route tree in their offensive game plan instead of using him on vertical routes. He finished last season with 47 receptions, 844 yards, and six touchdowns. Floyd finished the season with 3rd most deep targets in the league.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy wants to keep Eddie Lacy fresh by limiting his touches. This strategy makes sense because he is a high injury risk given his history. Despite not being used as a workhorse in 2014 Lacy was very efficient finishing with 1,751 total yards and 13 touchdowns on 328 touches. He will be a top three running back heading into fantasy football drafts this summer.

ESPN Boston has reported that free agent running back Stevan Ridley will visit with NFL teams this week. In 2014, with the New England Patriots, Ridley had 94 carries for 340 rushing yards and two touchdowns before a torn ACL and MCL ended his season. He is expected to be cleared in about six weeks and should find an opportunity as an early-down back on a short-term deal. Ridley is a low risk, high upside signing who could help a team like the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, or the Minnesota Vikings.